PP queries K5 billion overspending at Malawi army, police

The opposition People’s Party (PP) leader in Parliament Ralph Mhone has criticised government for an unbudgeted expenditure of K5 billion on wages for the Malawi Police Service (MPS) and Malawi Defence Force (MDF), which is also expected exert pressure on the budget.

Mhone: Lack of planning

The decision to overspend on the two security institutions was disclosed in the Mid-Year Budget Statement presented to Parliament in Lilongwe by Finance, Economic Planning and Development minister Goodall Gondwe.

The country’s purse-keeper also disclosed the expenditure pushes the wage bill from K303.5 billion to K308.5 billion.

But Mhone described the over expenditure as lack of planning.

Mhone said in his contribution to the debate on the Mid-Year Budget Review that government could have been competent to plan to recruit staff without allocating funding towards the exercise.